A New Art Journal

A few weeks ago I won a giveaway over at The Paper Phantom.  It was for a new art journal that Spooky made herself to my specific specifications.  It came in the mail the other day and I love it.  Awesome, no?  Yes.  It’s awesome.

It’s full of a bunch of different kinds of paper, some old book illustrations and maps and sheet music,  and other awesome stuff- like a pocket.  When has something not been improved by adding pockets?  And as if it wasn’t already super great due to the winning involved, but she worked with me to design everything.  From the cover to the kinds of paper inside, right down to the color of the spiral binding.   The cover underneath all that pretty paint  is an old book page and some piano music.  So awesome.  And the little yellow thing on the right is a tag from a tea bag, or something.  But I am calling it my ticket to adventure.  Cute, right?  Right.  I love it.  I can’t wait to fill it up with awesome new stuff.  If you want to work with Spooky to get your own journal (which you totally should) email her at sparkpress(dot)store (at) gmail(dot)com.  She’s got a few great opportunities on the horizon and I wish her all the best of luck.

So I know I’ve talked a little bit about my Art Journal class I’m taking.  Can I just tell you how much I love it?  I can?  I LOVE it.   A year ago I hadn’t even heard of art journals.  And  now I have four art journals hanging out on my desk.  A girl’s gotta have options, you know.  I’ve got my big class journal,  the brand new one from Spooky, this old black one, a new little black one that is filling up with the cute little things that Creamie says and does.  I’ve never been much of a traditional journal keeper.  I always get so intimidated trying to think of something monumental to say, so I end up saying nothing.  Having a leather bound book with my name embossed on the front and full of empty lines gives me the creeps.  It makes me feel like I’m already dead.  Like I’m my own progeny perusing the trunks in the attic.  Or something creepy like that.  Anyway, art journaling is so much more fun for me.  It takes off all the pressure.  Who cares if I can’t staple in a straight line.  Who cares if I squished my letters too close together.  Who cares if I got paint somewhere I hadn’t intended to be covered with paint.  Who cares if I don’t go in chronological order, or if I skip around in the book willy nilly.  Or if I randomly pick a different book each day to play with (I mean, I do have four you know).  Or if I leave blank pages.  Who cares if it’s not protected in a plastic sleeve.  Who cares if I end up hating it and staple all the pages together.  Who cares if I use tacky glue and wonder-under and washi tape all together.  And then I smear my writing.  I’ll tell you who, not me.

(If you want to see more of my pages click here)

One day a few weeks ago I was outside sitting on the grass doing some painting and one of my friends driving by stopped to chat and she said something I couldn’t get out of my mind.  She asked if I HAD to do something creative everyday.   That got me to thinking.  Do I?  Yes. Yes I do.  Some people have to exercise (blah), or flip the lights on and off 37 times.  But I have to get glue on my fingers, or marker on my shirt, or cover the floor with scraps of fabric and bits of thread.  I have to.   I have been trying to work on at least one little project a day and it makes me a MUCH happier person.  When Creamie is asleep and I have some time to myself I spread out my scraps  and sit in the quiet nighttime and make stuff until Scott tells me it’s past my bedtime.  And that my friends makes me happy.

Moral of this story: Try something new.  You might surprise yourself with the results.  And you might end up with glue on your pants and paint in your hair.  And there isn’t much that makes me happier.